Question for Americans and Canadians (might as well invite them because they’re coming in anyways)…
How do you feel about N. Korea with atomic bombs and, shortly, the missiles to deliver those bombs into the United States? Is it something that must be stopped before it can happen, or is it something we can live with? Seems to me that Trump is going to make a call on this soon. It’s an awful decision, but oddly I have no idea where my fellow countrymen (and that includes women) stand.
I would try all diplomatic ways to end this, but I’d live with it before starting another Korean War to stop it. I’m not sure that’s a good decision really, but it’s what I’ve got right now.
Not worried. Kim may be off his rocker, and a pos dictator, but I don’t think he is suicidal.
A launch of a nuke at the US or allies would bring hell down upon him. It’s one thing for Russia/China to not care much about the tests, but they’d be hard pressed to not dissolve any relationships with NK if they launched a nuke strike at a country.
From roughly 1960 - 1990, the US managed to live with tens of thousands of USSR nuclear weapons able to be delivered by thousands of bombers, ICBMs, and SLBMs, along with hundreds of other Red Chinese nuclear weapons. Russia and China still have thousands of weapons and delivery systems. We continue to live with this.
The argument is made that the N Koreans are crazy so they would launch an attack with one or two weapons even though they would be obliterated by a US retaliatory strike that would involve hundreds of higher yield weapons. I don’t think they’re that crazy. Simply gaining whatever prestige they think they gain by possessing a nuclear weapons capability along with the associated angst this creates among the US, Japan, and S Korea is good enough for them.
The US needs to continue to make life difficult for N Korea via sanctions and other economic and political pressure. Beyond that, everyone needs to get on with their lives.
From roughly 1960 - 1990, the US managed to live with tens of thousands of USSR nuclear weapons able to be delivered by thousands of bombers, ICBMs, and SLBMs, along with hundreds of other Red Chinese nuclear weapons. Russia and China still have thousands of weapons and delivery systems. We continue to live with this.
The argument is made that the N Koreans are crazy so they would launch an attack with one or two weapons even though they would be obliterated by a US retaliatory strike that would involve hundreds of higher yield weapons. I don’t think they’re that crazy. Simply gaining whatever prestige they think they gain by possessing a nuclear weapons capability along with the associated angst this creates among the US, Japan, and S Korea is good enough for them.
The US needs to continue to make life difficult for N Korea via sanctions and other economic and political pressure. Beyond that, everyone needs to get on with their lives.
I get it. And I, too, don’t believe that crazy will ever be a default world leader position. At the same time, as the number of these existential threats proliferate, the chance for error, or misunderstanding, or even the remote possibility of craziness increases.
Also, my perception is that the craziness would have to be more widespread in Russian and China to get a nuclear launch done. N. Korea and Iran strike me like a much more limited crazy – in terms of number of people – could still end in disaster.
Question for Americans and Canadians (might as well invite them because they’re coming in anyways)…
Well, an atomic bomb would impact us too.
How do you feel about N. Korea with atomic bombs and, shortly, the missiles to deliver those bombs into the United States?
The same way I feel about Pakistan having the bomb, not a good idea but not a lot you can do about it.
Is it something that must be stopped before it can happen, or is it something we can live with? Seems to me that Trump is going to make a call on this soon. It’s an awful decision, but oddly I have no idea where my fellow countrymen (and that includes women) stand.
The ideal would be to have no nuclear weapons but if countries have it, it might be better for a lot to have it so you end up with no country having an advantage**. **Pakistan is a hotbed of radicalism and I’m not convinced that nuclear weapons there is a lot worse than North Korea.
I would try all diplomatic ways to end this, but I’d live with it before starting another Korean War to stop it. I’m not sure that’s a good decision really, but it’s what I’ve got right now.
Diplomacy won’t work with North Korea because what they want is power on the world stage and the only way to get that in their eyes is to have a nuclear weapon. I’m not sure how you stop them without starting a nuclear war.
Speaking on behalf of the world though, I’m just glad there is a strong, knowledgeable and decisive leader in the Whitehouse…I think we can all agree on that.
I don’t think we will nuke them as the nuclear fallout will piss off the neighbors, notably China and you won’t want to mess with them as it will affect trade etc etc. US also must not kill innocent North Koreans, human right lawyers will have a field day suing the US on their behalf. So a massive bomb raid would be an option.
Am I worried about NK launching a missile to N.America? Nope, as said earlier, they know that they wouldn’t survive.
Ad Muncher
Speaking on behalf of the world though, I’m just glad there is a strong, knowledgeable and decisive leader in the Whitehouse…I think we can all agree on that.
We’ve elected the guy most likely to convince people he’s crazy enough to do something. So that’s not bad. To be honest, I think Hillary might have been able to go the crazy route as well. Obama didn’t even put effort into it.
Crazy is a well known negotiating tactic. N. Korea has kicked our butts with it plenty of times in the past.
I don’t think we will nuke them as the nuclear fallout will piss off the neighbors, notably China and you won’t want to mess with them as it will affect trade etc etc. US also must not kill innocent North Koreans, human right lawyers will have a field day suing the US on their behalf. So a massive bomb raid would be an option.
Am I worried about NK launching a missile to N.America? Nope, as said earlier, they know that they wouldn’t survive.
I disagree. All bets would be off in the case of an ICBM attack. The last thing on people’s minds would be trade or lawyers. China would fully expect a massive retaliation. All it would take is a few missiles from an Ohio class to lay waste to North Korea. They really don’t have much in the first place. Once the capital and military bases are gone, they really don’t have much else of significance. It will be cleanup after that. North Korea would be a dead zone before their ICBMs even travelled a couple thousand miles.
I just don’t believe megalomaniac dictators are suicidal, and definitely not their top military generals. If they were religious zealots, then I would be worried.
One or 2 missiles would be shot down immediately. I don’t think these smaller countries with a hand full of ICBMs pose much of a threat to any of the major powers.
What does history say . . . has any nation ever used nuclear weapons against a civilian or military population? Was that nation(s) suicidal or crazy? How big of a sample do we have?
One or 2 missiles would be shot down immediately. I don’t think these smaller countries with a hand full of ICBMs pose much of a threat to any of the major powers.
Do you really have that much faith in GMD? About half of the intercept tests have been successful.
